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Posts tagged as “Star Trek”

TV Censorship (PT66)

Alex and Nick discuss the evolution of censorship on TV and the involvement of “standards & practices”.

What is considered censorship in television? How is sensitive content categorized? What are differences in TV censorship across the world? How have sensibilities changed across the years? When can standards & practices influence TV writing?

Plus, we answer our very first voicemail.

The Paper Team bleeps itself…

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: Rolling submissions and visa questions (00:49)
1 – How is television regulated? (03:56)
2 – Evolution of sensibilities on TV (20:46)
3 – Differences in censorship around some countries (33:20)
4 – TV writing solutions to standards & practices (40:16)
Resources and Next Week On (51:14)

Links

Send a voicemail to TV Calling and Paper Team
“Immigrants: We Get the TV Job Done!” (PT56)
Broadcast Standards and Practices
Miller test
“F$%& Censorship” (2×05 – The Chris Gethard Show) (Video)
Safe Harbor Law
Telecommunications Act of 1996
V-chip
“He’s a Crowd” (5×12 – L.A. Law)
Lesbian kiss episode
“Rejoined” (4×06 – Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
“On Losing Patience for Women Kissing” – The Mary Sue
Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel
American Crime (TV series)
ReBoot

Resources

“This Business of Television” – Howard Blumenthal

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board’s Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex@TVCalling
Nick@_njwatson
If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Adapting Content for TV (PT65)

Alex and Nick share their experiences adapting preexisting material to television, from established novels and properties to historical events.

What constitutes an adaptation? How do you balance existing content and personal take? How close should you stick to the original source? How do you stay historically accurate while telling a compelling story? When should you spec an existing property without having the rights?

Plus, a new venue for feedback and an update on the Fox Writers Lab.

The Paper Team gets inspired by…

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: Voicemail and Fox Writers Lab Update (00:51)
1 – Defining what is an adaptation: IPs, properties, and real events (07:24)
2 – Choosing the right format, tips on adapting history and existing content (16:14)
3 – Speccing established IPs without having the rights (38:59)
Takeaways and Resources (49:15)

Links

“TV Writing Competitions” (PT33)
“TV Writing Competition Winners: What Happens Next?” (PT65)
Send a voicemail to TV Calling and Paper Team
“Inspiration vs. Stealing in TV Writing” (PT58)
The Wolf of Wall Street
Wall Street (Movie)
Spotlight
Kingsman: The Secret Service
W.
Band of Brothers
Rome
Revenge
The Count of Monte Cristo
“Why The Expanse is transforming TV” – Wired
“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” – Tom Stoppard
Star Trek: Terran

Resources

“Beyond Fidelity: The Dialogics of Adaptation” – Robert Stam (PDF)
DP/30 interview with Eric Heisserer (Arrival)
The Writers’ Panel with Eric Heisserer

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board’s Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex@TVCalling
Nick@_njwatson
If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Teasers & Cold Opens (PT61)

Alex and Nick discuss the importance of teasers in television writing and key elements that make cold opens effective.

What is the point of opening scenes? What makes a good teaser? How do you reveal character, story and theme in those first few pages? Are there teaser differences between comedy and drama?

Plus, we talk 2017 Emmy winners and the revamped Fox Writers Lab.

The Paper Team opens up…

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: Emmys 2017 & Fox Writers Lab (00:28)
1 – Why are teasers and opening scenes important? (11:00)
2 – What makes a good opener: tone, character, expectations, story, and world (14:55)
3 – Specificities of teasers: comedy vs. drama, length, pilot vs. normal episode (32:01)
Takeaways and Next Week On (38:19)

Links

69th Primetime Emmy Awards (2017)
The Handmaid’s Tale (TV Show)
Lena Waithe
Donald Glover
Sterling K. Brown
Frank Pembleton
Fox Writers Lab
“Six Feet Under” Pilot Opening Sequence (Video)
“Riverdale” Pilot Opening Sequence (Video)
Glee
Election
“Scandal” Pilot Opening Sequence (Video)
Firefly
Psycho
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” Pilot Opening Sequence (Video)
In medias res
“Rick and Morty” Lighthouse Scene (Video)
“Breaking Bad” Pilot Opening Sequence (Video)
“Lost” Pilot Opening Sequence (Video)
“Breaking Bad” Crawling Scene (Video)
Stargate SG-1
Goa’uld
Futurama
Cheers
“Lost” Season 2 Opening Sequence (Video)
“Lost” Season 3 Opening Sequence (Video)

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex@TVCalling
Nick@_njwatson
If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]